


Mistrusted

by littlespider9



Series: The Pilot [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Interrogation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 02:17:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9299726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlespider9/pseuds/littlespider9
Summary: Bodhi was sent with a warning, but no one seems to take him at his word. Luckily, Cassian's got his back.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic here and the first in a series of Bodhi-centric Rogue One fics I'm working on. Expect some spoilers, a lot of angst and some Cassian/Bodhi bromance because, really, it's the best.

“I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force…” 

Cassian closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and counted to ten. If he was not one hundred percent sure that the blind monk’s big friend could probably snap him in two with his bare hands, the Captain would’ve done anything to shut the monk up. He didn’t have time for crazy, trouble making guardians. He had to find the pilot who’d come with Galen Erso’s message and-

As if he’d heard the Captain’s thoughts, the monk abruptly stopped his prayer-like chant. He tilted his head to the side as though he were listening. “Who’s the one in the next cell?”

The monks tall, bearded companion - Baze? Cassian’s brain supplied - grunted in acknowledgement and approached the side of their cell to look. “What? Where?”

Peering into the dimness of the other cell, Baze immediately tensed, his deep voice coming like a growl from his chest. “It’s an Imperial pilot. I’ll kill him!”

  _An Imperial pilot?_

 _That_ caught Cassian’s attention. In less than three swift strides, the Captain had crossed the cell to grab Baze’s muscled arm and wrench it away from the man in the next cell over. He wasn’t a moment too soon; Baze had somehow managed to grab a hold of the figure’s dirty collar and Cassian had no doubt the guardian could find a way to kill through that grip alone.

“No, wait! Back off!” Cassian exclaimed, forcing himself between Baze and the bars. He knew he was going out on a limb, that he had no authority over these guardians, but the big man did as asked and stepped back. Once he was sure Baze was not going to try something stupid, Cassian turned back to the pilot in the next cell. 

Freed from Baze’s grip, the man seemed to collapse back into himself, hunching over and squeezing his eyes shut. To say that the man looked rough was a vast understatement. His tan skin had a dull, grey tinge to it and his black hair was falling out of its tie in loose, greasy strands. Overall, he was covered in dirt and the Imperial flight suite and markings looked grimy and worn. Kneeling by the bars, Cassian was immediately overwhelmed by the stale smell of sweat.

Cassian frowned, thinking backwards from when word of the pilot’s defection had reached Rebel ears. It had only been what, a day or two ago that he’d met and killed his informant on the Ring of Kafrene, which meant that the pilot couldn’t have been here more than three or four days. Force, what had Saw’s people done to him? 

Forcing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Cassian pressed himself up against the bars, as close to the other man as he could get. “Hey, hey, are you the pilot? The shuttle pilot?”

The man jumped slightly at Cassian’s voice and opened his eyes, but he merely blinked blankly at the door to his cell. Cassian’s heart sank. Saw had broken the man, had broken him before the rebels got his message… “Are you the shuttle pilot?”

Again, there was no response other than a low, anxious hum and another twitch of the man’s head. Behind him, Cassian heard the monk shift curiously. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Galen Erso,” Cassian tried, his heart hammering hard in his chest. Please let him not be too late… “Do you know that name?”

It was as though someone had parted whatever fog had settled in the other man’s brain. He blinked again, but this time his gaze seemed sharper, more focused. The man’s voice was rough, like he’d been screaming. “The pilot.”

Cassian held his breath, watching as the man struggled like a droid rebooting from a memory wipe. “I-I brought the message. I’m the pilot.”

Then the man finally turned to him and Cassian was surprised by sharp cheekbones and impossibly big brown eyes. “ _I’m the pilot._ ”

 

* * *

 

They just it made off world before Jedha became a swirling whirlpool of dust and rock. If K2 hadn’t listened to Cassian for once and gone back to the ship, if Saw Gerrera’s mercenaries had searched him better had found his pick set… Cassian shuddered at the possibilities. Jedha could very easily have been the end of it all.

“Cassian?” Jyn called, her voice rough with emotion for her fallen mentor. “I think something’s wrong with your pilot.” 

“Stay here,” Cassian ordered K2SO hurriedly before scrambling out of his chair and into the hold. Sure enough, the pilot was a huddled mess in the corner, breath coming in quick, sharp pants as he mumbled incoherently to himself. Cassian knelt down in front of the other man, hovering uncertainly.

One thing was for sure; the pilot was hyperventilating. Any more of this and he’d make himself pass out.

“Hey, try and calm down,” Cassian murmured in what he hoped was a soothing tone, but if the panicked look the pilot shot at him was any indication, it didn’t work. Pausing for a second, the Captain decided to try another tactic. “What’s your name?”

Still looking unsure about whether or not he should trust Cassian, the pilot licked his dry lips and forced out some words around his gasping breaths. “B-Bodhi Rook.”

“Okay, Bodhi Rook, I am Captain Cassian Andor, with Rebel Intelligence,” Cassian explained calmly, though he usually made a point of not giving anyone he’d just met his full title. “You’re safe now. Saw Gerrera can’t hurt you anymore.”

Off to the side, Jyn made a sound of protest, but thankfully kept her mouth shut. Bodhi Rook glanced at uncertainly at her and then at the two guardians, who sat side by side against the gangway ramp. “And t-the Empire?" 

Seeing that the other man was starting to calm down, Cassian cracked a brief smile. “We don’t plan on sending you back, if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

Bodhi apparently didn’t find that very funny, because he just stared at Cassian with wide eyes.

“Okay, you know what,” Cassian said, getting to his feet and cross over to the rations cupboard where he selected a protein pack and carton of water. Walking back towards the cockpit, he dropped the items unceremoniously in Bodhi’s lap. Cassian didn’t really have time to coddle the pilot; he to get on the comms and inform the Council that the planet killer was _real_. “You need to eat something. There’s a fresher over there if you want to wash up. I’m going to need your help when we get to Eadu.”

Jyn perked up at that. “Eadu? Is that where my father is?”

Bodhi looked up from where he’d been wrestling with the water carton. “A-are you Galen’s daughter?”

Jyn nodded warily, matching the pilot’s suspicion point for point. “And you’re the pilot. You know him?”

“Yes.”

That was the first thing Bodhi had said with complete certainty and Cassian could see a million questions explode behind Jyn’s eyes. She looked as though she didn’t know where to begin. “Did he say anything to you?”

“He, uh,” Bodhi ducked his head and picked absently at one of the water carton’s seams. “He said I could get right by myself. He said I could make it right, if I was brave enough and listened to what was in my heart. I could do something about it.”

The words left Bodhi in a rush, like the pilot was afraid he’d lose his nerve halfway through. He gnawed at a dry lip. “Guess it was too late.”

Cassian watched as both the pilot and the two guardians seemed to deflate. Chirrut, the blind monk, let his head hang down slightly and Cassian was at a loss for what to say. What do you say to somehow whose home, whose entire world was just blown into oblivion?

Jyn shook her head, some of the fierceness starting to return to her gaze. “It wasn’t too late.”

Baze gave a snort of disagreement. “Seems pretty late to me.”

“No,” Jyn said, looking around the cabin at each of the weary men around her. “We can beat the people who did this. We can stop them.”


	2. 2

If Cassian was to describe their return to the Rebel’s Yavin 4 base in one word, it would be hectic. Upon landing, Cassian was immediately pulled into a debrief with General Draven while Bodhi, Chirrut, and Baze were hustled off for intelligence interviews. The Captain wasn’t exactly sure what happened to Jyn, but quite frankly he was too busy trying to control the mess that their trip to Eadu had created to care.

“Captain, I hope you appreciate the implications of our attack on the Eadu research facility.” Draven said, his tone tight and clipped.

Cassian sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He’d done a lot of horrible things for the Rebellion, but there was no way they were going to pin this disaster on him. “With all due respect, General, if you had just given me more time-”

“You were out of contact, Captain,” Draven said, his look thunderous. This was probably the first time Cassian had ever been bold enough to mouth off against the General and he obviously did not like it. “We did what we thought was necessary.”

“And here I thought I’d proven myself enough for you to trust me to do my job,” was Cassian’s scathing reply.

Almost an hour later, he was still fuming over the debrief as he stalked through the relatively empty hanger towards their stolen Imperial shuttle. Draven was, for the most part, a good general. He was quick of his feet and, normally, was open to suggestions. The problem was, he’d been out of the field too long; he was starting to forget that sometimes things just didn’t go according to plan.

Approaching the shuttle, Cassian could see that Chirrut and Baze were back from their interviews. The two guardians were leaning against the side of the shuttle, murmuring to each other as Jyn sat a few feet away on an upturned crate, fiddling with her collapsible baton. Seeing the Captain approach, she surged to her feet, but K2 got to Cassian first.

“I’ve kept an eye on Jyn Erso as you requested.” The droid reported, oblivious to the dirty look Jyn threw at his back. “Though I do not like her tone. She keeps suggesting you sell me for scraps.”

Cassian allowed himself a brief grin. After all, there was a reason he preferred the reprogramed droid’s company over most other life forms. Moving past the droid, he directed his next statement to Jyn. “The Council would like to see you shortly for a debrief of your father’s message.”

Jyn nodded; she’d expected as much. “Where’s Bodhi? He should probably join me.”

At that, Cassian frowned and realized that they were, in fact, missing one former Imperial pilot. “He’s not back yet? He didn’t wander off, off did he?”

Jyn merely shrugged and began fiddling with her baton again. Baze was the one who answered. “We thought he was with you.”

“I’ll go find him,” Cassian sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t like the idea of Bodhi wandering around base in that Imperial flight suit. True, most of the rebels were reasonable people, but all it took was one person to decide Bodhi was a good enough scapegoat for all the pain the Empire had inflicted on the galaxy and… Cassian had better hurry and find him. “The rest of you stay here. K-”

“I know,” the droid intoned disinterestedly, “keep an eye on the girl.”

Cassian ignored Jyn’s spluttering as he worked his way towards one of the supply holds. Most of the Alliance’s activities took place in the structure’s upper levels, but there were catacombs that were utilized for some of their less pleasant activities. Interrogations, for example. Inside the supply hold, Cassian activated the floor panel and hurriedly lowered himself into the dimly lit tunnel.

The rebels very rarely had occasion to use the catacombs as it was generally considered too risky to bring Imperial personnel back to base alive. However, they had at least ten cells ready to receive prisoners at any time and one larger chamber that they had transformed into a sort of interrogation suite. That was where Cassian found Bodhi.

“Captain.” General Draven was already there, standing in the passageway and watching through an observation window as some lieutenant - was it Mages? - circled Bodhi like a predatory animal. As for the pilot himself, Bodhi sat on a crate in the middle of the chamber, arms secured behind him with cuffs and staring pointedly at the floor.

“Still at it, General?” Cassian asked, stepping closer to the window himself, though he knew that Bodhi couldn’t see him.

“Just being thorough, Andor.” Draven replied cooly. Both men were preventing from further comment when Bodhi’s tired voice cut through the speaker piping the goings on inside the chamber out into the passageway.

“We’ve already been over all this.”

Mages remained impassive. “For the record, this time. State your name and world of birth.”

“Bodhi Rook of Jedha.”

The pilot was from Jedha? Cassian crossed his arms in front of his chest. No wonder he’d seemed so shaken up after the planet eater - what were they calling it now, the death star? - had destroyed Jedha’s Holy City. Mages pressed on with the questions.

“Occupation?”

“Cargo pilot.” Mages stopped pacing and gave Bodhi a look. The pilot licked his lips in what Cassian was coming know as a nervous tick. “F-formerly of the Empire.”

“Rank?”

“Ensign.”

“And how long were you with the Empire?”

“Almost thirteen years,” Bodhi answered, though something like anger came over his already drawn features. “And for the record, I worked for the Empire. I was not with them.”

Both General Draven and Mages looked unimpressed, but Cassian couldn’t help but raise one eyebrow at the impassioned declaration. Very interesting. Quite frankly, it was amazing that Bodhi could display such antagonism towards the Empire after so long under their thumb. Cassian was well aware of the Empire’s indoctrination tactics, taking boys from their homes at a young age and bombarding them with Imperial ideology. Maybe the civilian shuttle pilots weren’t as heavily conditioned as the Empire’s armed forces, but still, thirteen years was a long time.

Mages, however, did not seem to care about the distinction and proceeded with the interrogation. “And you were aware of one Galen Erso?”

“I knew him, yes,” Bodhi confirmed with a short nod of his head.

“And what was the nature of your relationship with Galen Erso?”

Here, Bodhi faltered for the first time. It wasn’t much, just a little twitch of his head, but if Cassian caught it he was sure that Mages would as well. The pilot shifted slightly on the crate. “He, uh, he was the head engineer at the Eadu research facility where I was based. All of my cargo was delivered directly to him.”

“I see.” Mages stopped pacing and crossed his arms over his chest. “So it was a professional relationship.”

“Uh, yes.” Bodhi looked a bit confused, but nodded anyways. “I mean, he would ask me about my day sometimes, but-”

“And he asked you to defect.”

“No, he asked me to deliver a message. I decided to defect.”

From the frustration in Bodhi’s tone, Cassian could tell they must have been over this point several times already. Mages decided to leave it be. “And what did he tell you about this message?”

Bodhi frowned nervously, shifting again. “He, uh, he said it was important. He said the weapon they’d been building, it was almost done and that the Rebels needed to know.”

Here, Mages fixed the pilot with a skeptical look. “So you brought the message to Saw Gerrera.”

“I-I didn’t know-” Bodhi cut himself off, cleared his throat, and tried again. “Galen said to bring it Gerrera. I thought he was with you.”

“Saw Gerrera was an ideological extremist who broke with the Rebellion years ago. We did not approve of his…” Mages seemed to search for the word, “...more unsavory tactics. What did Saw do with the message?”

Bodhi didn’t respond, but seemed to hunch over more as though trying to sink into himself. Mages tried again. “What did Gerrera do with the message?”

Cassian frowned. Something was wrong. Bodhi’s face went blank, his gaze dropping back down to the floor. Even from behind the glass, Cassian could see his eyes were distant and glassy. He’d seen that look before.

“What the hell happened, Mages?” General Draven demanded, activating the comm between the room and observation area.

“I’m not sure, sir, but I’ll get him talking again.” Before Cassian could interject, Mages struck Bodhi’s face in a loud slap. The pilot’s head snapped violently to the side and the interrogator got right up in his face. “What did you do with the message from Galen Erso?”

“Stop!” Cassian ordered through the comm before Mages could strike the pilot again. “You’ll break him!”

“What the hell do you mean, Captain?” Draven demanded, but Cassian was already letting himself into the interrogation suite.

Mages tried to intercept him. “This is my interrogation, Andor.”

“Not any more, it isn’t,” Cassian responded shortly, kneeling by Bodhi’s side and grasping his arm. The pilot flinched away from his touch. His eyes were huge, pupils blown wide, and he was trembling. “He was nearly catatonic when I found him in Saw’s dungeons. I don’t know what they did to him, but knocking him around isn’t going to help. If you want intel, you need him to trust you.”

There was a tense silence as Draven took took in Cassian’s words. Then he sighed. “Very well, Cassian, he’s all yours.”

“Get these cuffs off of him,” Cassian ordered and Mages complied, albeit with a dirty look. Feeling hands on his wrists, Bodhi flinched away, but Cassian stopped his escape with a hand on each knee. “It’s okay, it’s Cassian. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.”

The frightened look Bodhi sent was almost identical to the look they’d shared after escaping Jedha barely a day ago. Still, Cassian was encouraged by the eye contact. “That’s it, Bodhi. It’s okay.”

Bodhi blinked slowly at him, focus slowly returning to his eyes. “I-I’m Bodhi. I’m the pilot.”

“That’s right, you’re the pilot,” Cassian said with the smallest hint of a smile. “And pilot, if it’s okay, I have a few more questions for you.”


End file.
